Beyond Free College outlines an audacious national agenda—consistent with, but far more comprehensive than, the current “free college” movement—that builds on the best of US higher education’s populist history such as the G.I. Bill and the community college transfer function. The authors align a wide constellation of higher education trends—online learning, prior learning assessment, competency-based learning, high school college-credit— with a rapidly shifting student transfer environment that privileges college credit as the pivotal educational catalyst to boost access and completion. The book’s agenda seeks greater productive investment in postsecondary education by privileging a single metric—lower-cost-per-degree-granted—as the animating driver of a transfer pathway that will fulfill the potential of its historical, progressive innovators. Beyond Free College’s goal is as simple as it is urgent: To galvanize higher education advocates in an effort to reorganize, reorient, and reignite the transfer function to serve the needs of a neotraditional student population that now constitutes the majority of college-goers in America; and in ways that advance completion, not just access to higher education.

This handbook describes procedures for school-district reorganization in California. Following the introductory chapter, chapter 2 offers a historical overview of school-district reorganization in California. Chapters 3 and 4 outline the organization and responsibilities of the county committee and the role and responsibilities of the State Board of Education. The fifth chapter provides a step-by-step process of forming or abolishing school districts, consolidating school districts, transferring territory, and unifying school districts. A series of flowcharts explain the 25 percent petition, the 10 percent petition, the state criteria for approvals, and the guidelines for administering the California Environmental Quality Act regulations. Chapter 6 details the requirements of the Education Code Section 35753 governing reorganization proposals. Chapter 7 lists the various effects of a district organizational change on a school district and its employees, property, funds, obligations, bond indebtedness, and revenue limit. The requirements for elections and public hearings are listed in the eighth chapter. Chapters 9 and 10 describe the new governing board and its operations and other functions of the county committee. The final two chapter summarize the appeals process related to transfers of territory and procedures for reorganizing community colleges. Appendices contain state regulations; a list of chartered counties, cities, and school districts; and sample forms. (LMI)